Mary Ester Cristillo Stewart

Mary Ester (Cristillo) Stewart     April 8, 1928 – July 21, 2021

Mary Ester Stewart passed away at the remarkable age of 93 in the early morning of July 21, 2021, in the compassionate hands of Montgomery Hospice at Casey House, Rockville, MD.  She was born on April 8, 1928, in Tyrone, PA to Felice and Laura (Pedro) Cristillo. Growing up the eldest of six children in a close knit-Italian family in Bellwood and Altoona, PA, Mary spent a lifetime caring deeply for her siblings and their ever-expanding families. Known as Nonna, Grandma, Mom, and Aunt Mary to all who loved her, she ensured that her cherished Italian traditions were always centered around love, celebration, and abundantly good food, and made sure to pass them on to her children and grandchildren.  

From milking the family cow, helping take care of five younger siblings, helping with her father’s accounting, or working at the Sylvania Factory after high school, she was no stranger to hard work.  

In 1948, a young Walter Franklin Stewart leapt into her life -- literally by hopping aboard a boat she was sharing with her sister in Lakemont Park! -- making a lasting first impression as their hearts became forever intertwined. They married on August 17, 1950, his 20^th birthday. 

In the early days of their marriage, while Walter was deployed overseas with the US Air Force, Mary shared an apartment with girlfriends in Long Island, NY, where she worked at Doubleday Publishing and spent her evenings out on the town. She loved going to theater shows and of course seeing her other blue-eyed love, Frank Sinatra, while writing letters to her husband thousands of miles away.  

Upon Walter’s return, the newlyweds moved across the country to Klamath, CA, where they welcomed their two sons, Michael and Patrick. In 1955, while pregnant with Patrick, Mary escaped the harrowing flooding of the Klamath River with her two-year-old Michael in tow. She was able to evacuate her family and outlasted the flood that wiped out most of the contents of their home, all while not knowing for days if Walter, who had been assisting local emergency response efforts, had survived.

The couple returned home to Lakemont, PA and introduced her two sons to her large loving family. That time in Klamath would be the furthest she would ever be from her loved ones again. In 1968, she followed her two sisters Jean & Cris and their families to Maryland and began work as a C&P/Bell Atlantic Telephone Information Operator until retirement in 1993.  In 1977, Mary and Walter moved into a house in Seabrook, MD just around the corner from Michael & Mary Kay. It was there in Seabrook where she saw her sons marry, gained two daughters-in-law, and welcomed seven grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren into the world, and stepped into the roles of beloved Grandma and Nonna. 

Family was always her highest priority and greatest sense of pride. She loved to vacation with her sisters, children, and grandchildren at the beach, and host parties to celebrate all of life’s special moments, of which there were many. She greatly looked forward to get-togethers with siblings and their families in Pennsylvania. 

Some of her favorite hobbies were gardening, taking great pride in her immaculate yard, sunbathing, and cooking for family and friends. She especially enjoyed baking her famous lemon squares and multitudes of cookies that were shared each Christmas with family, friends, parish priests, neighbors, trashmen, her mailmen, hairdresser or sent with Walter to the local American Legion. She loved travelling and especially looked forward to trips on the bus with her sisters to play the slot machines in Atlantic City or visiting old friends throughout the country. 

Her grandchildren have many fond memories of walking to grandma’s house, helping prepare for annual Christmas Eve parties, decorating and eating hundreds of thousands of cookies, rolling almost as many mini hot dogs into crescent blankets, planting flowers, picking crabs, swinging on the carport swing, listening to talk radio, going on walks around the neighborhood with the dogs, and taking the bus to the movie theater.

She was our model for unconditional love and unwavering acceptance throughout our lives. We could always be sure that anyone we brought into her home -- whether a fleeting significant other or future partner, a life-long friend or even friend of friend -- would be immediately welcomed as family. Even a little “Rascal” of a dog who more than lived up to his name somehow found himself lucky enough to be graced with her affections. Another of her great loves was laughter and it was frequent and infectious. She loved freely. She loved honestly. She loved big. 

Mary was preceded in death by her parents, Felice and Laura Cristillo, husband Walter Stewart, sisters Carmella Coho, Cleonica “Cris” Croft and Phyllis Jean Cook; brothers Rocco and Frank Cristillo; parents-in-law Walter and Ruth Stewart, brother-in-law Kenneth Coho; sister-in-law Jacquelyn Cristillo: and her grandson Tony Stewart.

She is survived by her brother-in-law John Cook of Greenbelt, MD: sister-in-law Cyndi Cristillo of Hollidaysburg, PA; her sons Michael Stewart and wife, Mary Kay of Seabrook, MD and Patrick Stewart and wife, Sheron of Mt. Pleasant, SC; her grandchildren Chris Grob and husband, Rob, Christine Robertson and husband, Dayle, Brian Stewart, Kathleen Enterline and husband, John, Bette Stewart, Nicholo Stewart; her great-grandchildren, Harper Robertson, Ty Grob, Keegan Robertson, Isaiah and Grace Enterline; along with many nieces and nephews and their families throughout Maryland and Pennsylvania. 

A viewing and Funeral Mass will be held at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Bowie, MD on July 27^th. A celebration of life memorial service and interment will be held at a later time when Mary makes her final journey home to join her husband Walter and family members in Calvary Cemetery in Altoona, PA. 

Charitable contributions may be made in her memory to Casey House, Montgomery Hospice, Rockville MD:  https://montgomeryhospice.org/services/general-inpatient-care/